Scan boundary indicators

ABSTRACT

A scanner comprising a platen, a first laser assembly movable along a first axis, a second laser assembly movable along a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, and laser movement controllers configured to control the movement of the laser assemblies along their axes. The laser assemblies comprise laser emitters configured to project laser lines on the platen that illustrate edges of the current scan area or delineate multiple scan areas, such that the dimensions and/or position of the scan area can be adjusted by moving the laser lines on the platen.

BACKGROUND Field of the Invention

The present disclosure relates to document scanners, particularly aflatbed scanner having laser lines projected onto a platen that define ascan area.

Background

Document scanners are commonly used to create digital representations ofphysical documents that can be digitally stored, transmitted, and/oredited. For example, many offices have been moving toward a “paperless”environment in which digital documents are preferred. Hard copies ofpaper documents are often scanned so that they can be transmitted viaemail or other means, stored on servers or hard disks, or edited withcomputer programs. Users working with photographs or other image-baseddocuments can also desire to scan them in order to work with themdigitally.

One type of document scanner is a flatbed scanner that has a platen, awindow of glass or other transparent material, upon which documents canbe placed. An image sensor in the flatbed scanner can be configured tomove underneath the platen to scan documents resting on the platen.Flatbed scanners can be either standalone pieces of equipment, or beincorporated into larger devices. For example, a multifunctional printer(MFP) can include a printer, scanner, copier, fax machine, and/or othercomponents in a single device.

Many flatbed scanners include a platen that is larger than the 8.5 by 11inch dimensions of a standard US Letter-sized sheet of paper, such thatthe scanner can scan more than one page side by side on the platen,and/or scan documents in a variety of different sizes. However, manyscanners are set by default to scan a specific section of the platen,such as an area with the dimensions of a single 8.5 by 11 inch USLetter-sized sheet of paper. Users who desire to scan a document of adifferent size may need to change the scan area from the scanner'sdefault, either through setting on the scanner itself or throughsoftware on a computer or other connected device.

Although the scan area can be configurable, many users may not be sureof the exact dimensions of the document they want to scan, and thus beunsure of what dimensions to select for the scan area. In other cases,users may become frustrated when the edges of a scanned document are cutoff because the wrong scan size was selected, or when users do notrealize they should have changed the scan area from the default size.

Similarly, users who want to scan a non-rectangular document may not besure which scan size to select in the scanner's settings to scan thefull non-rectangular document. For example, a parent that wants to scana child's artwork that has been cut out in the shape of a cartooncharacter's silhouette can be unsure of what size and shape scan area toselect in order to fully scan the irregular shape of the artwork.

Even users that are scanning a standard sized document can be unclear onexactly where to place it on a larger platen. For example, the scan areais often set in a corner of the platen by default, but users may not besure which corner is the correct one in which to place their documentfor scanning.

Further, a single page can contain multiple images that a user may wantto split into single-image files. Selecting scan boundaries and thenscanning each area can also be time-consuming and tedious.

Some scanners solve these problems by performing a preliminary scan ofthe full platen as a preview, and displaying the results of thepreliminary scan to a user as a preview image on a display, either onthe scanner or on a computer or other connected device. The user canthen click and drag a box around the preview image to select a specificscan area, or otherwise select a specific scan area they want within thelarger area scanned during the preview scan. The scanner can thenperform a full scan within the smaller area that was selected. However,this method can be slow and inefficient since it requires two scans anduser interaction.

Some scanners attempt image recognition in order to find portions of thepreview image that the user is likely to want to scan, and therebyautomatically select a final scan area from a preview scan. However,such methods can still result in the incorrect scan area being selected.By way of a non-limiting example, portions of the platen covered by apiece of paper can have a different color or contrast than uncoveredportions in the preliminary scan, and the scanner can set the scan areato an area that appears to have been covered by the paper in thepreliminary scan. However, this automatically selected area may not bethe actual area that a user wants to scan, or it may be sized to an areaof high-contrast text while ignoring blank space on a page that a userstill wants to scan. In this situations, user interaction is stillrequired to confirm or modify the dimensions of the scan area before afinal scan is performed, and two scans are still required.

While some documents scanners use a preliminary scan as described aboveto confirm the desired scan area, scanning documents on a MFP is oftendone directly at the MFP alone without the use of a connected computeror other device that can display the results of a preview scan. Instead,the specific dimensions of the desired scan area are typically selectedat the MFP prior to the scan, and the resulting digital representationis immediately stored on a server or other memory device for later use,or transmitted directly to another device or location. In these cases,no opportunity exists for a user to review the results of a preliminaryscan before a final scan takes place.

Another solution to the problem of where to place documents on theplaten, and what scan area to select, has been to mark various scanareas directly on the platen with lines. For example, translucent linesdefining the boundaries of scan areas can be marked on the platen in acolor that will be ignored by the image sensor, so that the lines appearinvisible in the final scan. However, such lines can become discoloredover time, such that they are no longer invisible to the image sensorand lines appear in the scanned image.

What is needed is a document scanner with laser line indicatorsprojected onto the platen that mark the boundaries of the current scanarea. The laser line indicators should also be movable to allow user tovisibly change the dimensions of the scan area prior to scanning.Further, the laser line indicators would also delineate multiple areasof a document to be scanned into separate image files.

SUMMARY

The present disclosure provides a scanner comprising a platen, a firstlaser assembly mounted below the platen that is movable along a firstaxis, a second laser assembly mounted below the platen that is movablealong a second axis substantially orthogonal to the first axis, andlaser movement controls configured to control movement of the laserassemblies along their axes. Each laser assembly can project a laserline onto the platen that illustrates the dimensions and/or position ofa scan area on the platen. The laser movement controls can be operatedto adjust the dimensions and/or position of the scan area on the platen.

The present disclosure also provides a scanner comprising a platen, afirst x-axis laser assembly mounted below the platen that is movablealong a first axis, a second x-axis laser assembly mounted below theplaten that is movable along the first axis, a first y-axis laserassembly mounted below the platen that is movable along a second axissubstantially orthogonal to the first axis, a second y-axis laserassembly mounted below the platen that is movable along the second axis,and laser movement controls configured to control movement of the laserassemblies along their axes. Each laser assembly can project a laserline onto the platen that illustrates the dimensions and/or position ofa scan area on the platen. Likewise, laser lines can delineate areas ofa document to be scanned as separate images saved as digitalrepresentations in individual image files. The laser movement controlscan be operated to adjust the dimensions and/or position of the scanarea on the platen.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a scanner.

FIG. 2 depicts an embodiment of a scanner's system.

FIG. 3 depicts a side view of an embodiment of a laser assembly.

FIG. 4 depicts a top view of a scanner.

FIGS. 5A-5C depict adjustment of the angle at which a laser line isprojected onto a platen to change the line's length and/or position.

FIG. 6 depicts a side view of a first embodiment of a laser assembly'smount.

FIG. 7 depicts a side view of a second embodiment of a laser assembly'smount.

FIG. 8 depicts an embodiment in which a laser movement control is atouch-sensitive strip mounted on a bezel.

FIG. 9 depicts edges of a scan area being illustrated with substantiallyorthogonal laser lines projected onto a platen.

FIGS. 10A-10B depict adjustment of the dimensions of a scan area throughmovement of laser lines.

FIG. 11 depicts an embodiment with two laser assemblies mounted on anx-axis, and two more laser assemblies mounted on a y-axis.

FIG. 12 depicts an embodiment with a single laser assembly.

FIG. 13 depicts an embodiment with two laser assemblies movable along asingle axis.

FIG. 14 depicts an another embodiment with two laser assemblies mountedon an x-axis, and two more laser assemblies mounted on a y-axis.

FIG. 15 depicts a flow chart of an exemplary method of using a scannerto select a scan area.

FIG. 16 depicts a flow chart of an exemplary method of using a scannerto select a multiple image scan areas.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

FIG. 1 depicts an embodiment of a scanner 100. A scanner 100 cancomprise a housing 102, one or more image sensors 104, one or more laserassemblies 106, and one or more laser movement controls 108. In someembodiments a scanner 100 can be a standalone device. In otherembodiments a scanner 100 can be incorporated with other devices into amultifunctional device. By way of a non-limiting example, a scanner 100can be a part of a multifunctional printer (MFP) that also has aprinter, copier, fax machine, and/or other devices or functionality.

A scanner's housing 102 can be a case or outer body that surrounds theinterior of the scanner 100. The housing 102 can define an aperture 110on an upper planer surface of the housing 102, and the scanner cancomprise a platen 112 positioned to span and fill the aperture 110 suchthat the platen 112 is suspended above the interior of the scanner 100.The platen 112 can be transparent planer member, such as a plane ofglass. In some embodiments, the aperture 110 and/or platen 112 can berectangular, as shown in FIG. 1.

The housing 102 can have, or be coupled with, a bezel 114 thatimmediately surrounds, supports, and/or covers the edges of the platen112. By way of a non-limiting example the bezel 114 can be a frame, orportions of the housing 102, that surrounds the peripheral edges of theplaten 112.

As shown in FIG. 2, a scanner 100 can comprise at least one controller202, at least one data storage unit 204, and a user interface 206. Eachcontroller 202 can be a chip, circuit and/or processor configured todirect the operations of the scanner 100, such as anapplication-specific integrated circuit (ASIC), central processing unit(CPU), graphics processing unit (GPU), or any other chip, circuit, orprocessor. In some embodiments a plurality of chips, circuits, and/orprocessors can operate together to direct the operations of the scanner100. A data storage unit 204 can be one or more internal digital storagedevices, such as random access memory (RAM), flash memory, a hard diskdrive, any/or any other type of digital memory. The user interface 206can comprise hardware and/or software elements for receivinginstructions from users and/or displaying information to users. By wayof various non-limiting examples, the user interface 206 can comprise ascreen and/or input devices, such as LCD screens, touchscreens, buttons,indicator lights, speakers, graphical user interfaces, and/or any otherinput or output device. In some embodiments the scanner can furthercomprise one or more communication interfaces, such as devicesconfigured to communicate with other devices over a computer network,fax connection, USB connection, or any other data or network connection.

Returning to FIG. 1, one or more image sensors 104 can be mounted withinthe housing 102 below the platen 112. The image sensors 104 can beconfigured to scan documents placed against the top of the platen 112.By way of a non-limiting example, the image sensors 104 can be coupledwith one or more controllers 202 and/or data storage units 204, suchthat they can scan a document on the platen 112 and save a digitalrepresentation of the document in memory on a data storage unit 204. Insome embodiments the image sensors 104 can be contact image sensors(CIS). In other embodiments the image sensors 104 can be charge coupleddevices (CCD), or any other type of image sensor.

In some embodiments the image sensors 104 and/or separate light sourcescan be movably coupled with the housing 102, such that the image sensors104 and/or light sources can move below the platen 112 to scan differentareas of the platen 112. In other embodiments, the image sensors 104 canbe stationary, and the scanner 100 can comprise an array of moveablemirrors and/or light sources that can move to direct light from abovethe platen 112 into the image sensors 104.

One or more laser assemblies 106 can also be mounted inside the housing102 below the plane of the platen 112. By way of a non-limiting example,a laser assembly 106 can be mounted beneath the bezel 114, as shown inthe side view of FIG. 3 and the top view of FIG. 4. Each laser assembly106 can be configured to emit or project a laser line 116 on the platen112.

Each laser assembly 106 can comprise a laser emitter 302, as shown inFIG. 3. The laser emitter 302 can be configured to selectively emit orproject a laser line 116 on the platen 112. By way of a non-limitingexample, in some embodiments the laser emitter 302 can emit laser lightalong a portion of a plane that intersects with the plane of the platen112, such that the laser light appears on the platen 112 as a laser line116.

The laser line 116 emitted by the laser emitter 302 can extend linearlyacross some or all of the platen 112. In some embodiments, changing theangle at which laser light is emitted from the laser assembly 106,and/or changing the width of an opening through which a partial plane ofemitted laser light leaves the laser assembly 106, can change the lengthand/or position of the laser line 116 on the platen 112. By way of anon-limiting example, FIGS. 5A-5C depict an embodiment in which thelaser emitter 302 can adjust the angle at which it emits laser lightand/or the width of a shutter opening to change the length and/orposition of the laser line 116 on the platen 112 from Distance A in FIG.5A to Distance B in FIG. 5B, or to Distance C in FIG. 5C. As shown inFIGS. 5A-5B, in some situations the laser line 116 can be projected ontothe platen 112 such that it extends from a point proximate to an edge ofthe platen 112 to a point farther away on the platen 112. As shown inFIG. 5C, in other situations the laser line 116 can be projected at anangle such that the laser line 116 begins at a point away from the edgeof the platen 112 and extends to another point farther away on theplaten 112. As such, in some embodiments when a laser emitter 302projects a partial laser line 116 that has a length less than the fulllength of the platen 116, the laser emitter 302 can move the partiallaser line 116 closer or farther away from the laser emitter 116 on theplaten 112, and/or adjust the length of the partial laser line 116.

In some embodiments, the laser assembly 106 and/or the laser emitter 302can be rotated or angled to adjust the angle at which the laser light isemitted. In other embodiments, the laser emitter 302 can have one ormore shutters that can move to adjust the angle at which the laser lightis emitted and/or to adjust the width of an opening through which thelaser light leaves the laser emitter 302. In some embodiments, a laseremitter 302 can alternately or additionally selectively adjust its powerlevel to change the strength and/or intensity of the laser line 116 asit appears on the platen 112.

Each laser assembly 106 can be linearly moveable along an axis 402within the housing 102. The laser assembly's laser emitter 302 can beoriented to emit its laser line 116 on the platen 112 in a directionsubstantially orthogonal to the axis 402 along which the laser assembly106 moves, as shown in FIG. 4. A laser line 116 can be considered asbeing substantially orthogonal to an axis 402 when it extends at anangle 90 degrees relative to the axis 402, or at any other angle between85 and 95 degrees relative to the axis 402. Movement of the laserassembly 106 side to side along its axis 402 can cause also the laserline 116 to move side to side on the platen 112, substantiallyorthogonally to the direction along which it extends. By way of anon-limiting example, a laser assembly 106 can be configured to movelinearly along a y-axis, and can be configured to emit a laser line 116in a direction parallel to an x-axis.

In some embodiments, a laser assembly 106 can be mounted on a belt 600spanning along an axis 402 between a servo 602 and a wheel 604 mountedwithin the scanner's housing 102, as shown in the side view of FIG. 6.The servo 602 can be motorized, such that motorized movement of theservo 602 causes the belt 600 to move about the wheel 604. Movement ofthe belt 600 can thus cause movement of the laser assembly 106 along theaxis 402 to any desired coordinate on the axis 402.

In other embodiments, a laser assembly 106 can be coupled with a bar 700mounted within the scanner's housing 102 such that the bar 700 extendsalong an axis 402, as shown in the side view of FIG. 7. In theseembodiments, the laser assembly 106 can comprise a drive mechanism 702,such motorized wheels and/or gears that can selectively drive the laserassembly 106 along the bar 700 to any desired coordinate on the axis402. In some embodiments the bar 700 can have threads or teeth, suchthat gears in the laser assembly 106 can interact with the bar 700 todrive it along the bar 700.

In still other embodiments, a laser assembly 106 can be mounted on arobotic arm, slider, gantry, track, and/or any other device or mechanismsuch that the laser assembly 106 can selectively move linearly back andforth along an axis 402 within the scanner's housing 102.

In some embodiments a laser assembly 106 can be mounted to move along anaxis 402 positioned above one or more image sensors 104 within thehousing 102. By way of a non-limiting example, in embodiments in whichone or more image sensors 104 are configured to move beneath the platen112, the laser assemblies 106 can be positioned to move within a planelocated between the platen 112 and the plane within which the imagesensors 104 move. In alternate embodiments the laser assemblies 106 canbe positioned at any other desired height or position relative to theimage sensors 104.

Movement of a laser assembly 106 along its axis 402 can be at leastpartially controlled with a laser movement control 108 that acceptscommands from a user to move the laser assembly 106 along the axis 402.In some embodiments the laser movement control 108 can be incommunication with a controller 202, which can in turn direct movementof the associated laser assembly 106 along its axis 402 while trackingthe current position of the laser assembly 106 on the axis 402. Inalternate embodiment the laser movement control 108 can be operated todirectly move a laser assembly 106 along its axis 402, and the lasermovement control 108 and/or the laser assembly 106 can report thecurrent position of the laser assembly 106 on the axis 402 to acontroller 202.

In some embodiments, a laser movement control 108 can be used to togglemovement of an associated laser assembly 106 along its axis 402. By wayof a non-limiting example, in some embodiments a user can press a buttonto begin movement of an associated laser assembly 106 in along an axis402, and that movement can continue until the laser assembly 106 reachesa termination point on the axis 402 or until the user presses the buttona second time.

In other embodiments, activation of a laser movement control 108 cancause continuous movement of an associated laser assembly 106 along itsaxis 402 until the laser movement control 108 is deactivated. By way ofa non-limiting example, in some embodiment a user can press and hold abutton to move an associated laser assembly 106 along its axis until theuser releases the button.

In still other embodiments, each operation of a laser movement control108 can cause an associated laser assembly 106 to move along its axis bya predetermined distance. By way of a non-limiting example, in someembodiments a laser assembly 106 can move along its axis 402 by quarterof an inch each time a button is pressed. In some of these embodiments,a single operation of a laser movement control 108 can move the laserassembly 106 by a predetermined distance, while operating the lasermovement control 108 more than once within a predetermined time periodcan cause continuous movement of the laser assembly 106. By way of anon-limiting example, in some embodiments a single press of a button canmove a laser assembly 106 along the axis 402 by a predetermineddistance, while a double press of the same button can begin continuousmovement of the laser assembly 106 along the axis 402 until the buttonis pressed again.

In yet other embodiments, operation of a laser movement control 108 canmove an associated laser assembly 106 to a specified point on its axis402, adjust the laser assembly's speed, and/or control movement of thelaser assembly 106 in any other desired manner.

In some embodiments a laser movement control 108 can be a button, dial,switch, lever, slider, joystick, touchpad, touchscreen, or any otherinput device separate from the scanner's other user interfaces 206. Suchlaser movement controls 108 can be mounted on the bezel 114 or elsewhereon the housing 102 such that they are accessible to users. In alternateembodiments a laser movement control 108 can be a part of a userinterface 206 that also controls other aspects of the scanner 100. Byway of a non-limiting example, the user interface 206 can be atouchscreen that can selectively display one or more virtual buttons orsliders that operate as laser movement controls 108 for a laser assembly106.

In some embodiments a single laser movement control 108 can selectivelycontrol movement of one or more laser assemblies 106 in one or moredirections. In other embodiments, distinct laser movement controls 108can control the movement of specific laser assemblies 106, or controlthe movement of specific laser assemblies 106 in specific directions orto specific locations. By way of a non-limiting example, dedicated leftand right buttons can control movement of a single laser assembly. Byway of another non-limiting example, an array of buttons can be spacedalong an edge of the bezel 114 above an axis 402, such that pressing asingle button within the array causes movement of an associated laserassembly 106 to a position on the axis 402 corresponding to the pressedbutton.

FIG. 8 depicts a non-limiting exemplary embodiment in which a lasermovement control 108 is a touch-sensitive strip mounted on the bezel114. The touch-sensitive strip can be oriented above and/or parallel tothe axis 402 along which a laser assembly 106 can move, such thatpositions on the touch-sensitive strip correspond to positions on theaxis 402. In some embodiments, when a user touches the touch-sensitivestrip associated with a laser assembly 106 at a particular position, thelaser assembly 106 can move directly to the corresponding position onits axis 402. In alternate embodiments, when a user touches thetouch-sensitive strip at a position on the axis 402 that is away fromthe laser assembly's current position on the axis 402, the laserassembly can move along the axis 402 toward the position of the user'stouch, moving either in a predetermined distance increment for eachtouch, or moving continuously until the user releases his or her fingerfrom the touch-sensitive strip or the position of the touch is reached.

One or more of the scanner's controllers 202 can use the positions ofone or more laser assemblies 106 on their axes to define the dimensionsand/or position of a two-dimensional scan area 900 on the platen 112, asshown in FIG. 9. The scan area 900 can be an area of the platen 112 thatwill be scanned by one or more image sensors 104 to create a digitalrepresentation of documents, photographs, or anything else placed abovethe platen 112 within that area. In some embodiments the image sensors104 can scan only within the designated scan area 900. In alternateembodiments the image sensors 104 can scan the full platen 112, and thescanner 100 can then crop the resulting digital representation down to asection corresponding to the position and dimensions of the designatedscan area 900.

FIG. 9 depicts an exemplary embodiment having two laser assemblies 106positioned on substantially orthogonal axes 402 that are configured toemit substantially orthogonal laser lines 116. One laser assembly 106can be oriented to move along an x-axis parallel to a first edge of theplaten 112. The other laser assembly 106 can be oriented to move along ay-axis parallel to a second edge of the platen 112 that is substantiallyorthogonal to the first edge. In this exemplary embodiment, each laserassembly 106 can be independently controlled by a separatetouch-sensitive strip extending along the edge of the bezel 114, aboveand/or parallel to the axis 402 along which the laser assembly 106moves. The laser lines 116 and/or the axes 402 can be considered asbeing substantially orthogonal to one another when they are oriented ata 90 degree angle relative to one another, or are oriented at any otherangle between 85 and 95 degrees relative to one another.

In embodiments with two laser assemblies 106 mounted to move alongsubstantially orthogonal axes 402, a controller 202 can determine thedimensions and position of a scan area 900 based on the coordinates ofthe laser assemblies 106 on each axis 402 relative to a zero coordinate.In some embodiments the zero coordinate on each axis 402 can be aposition at which the platen 112 meets the bezel 114, such that thecurrent scan area 900 can be bounded by the visible edges of the platen112 and the positions of the two laser assemblies 106 on their axes 402.By way of a non-limiting example, zero coordinates in two dimensions canbe located at a corner of the platen 112, such that the dimensions ofthe scan area 900 can be determined by the distance of the laserassemblies 106 away from that corner in each dimension.

Similarly, as the laser assemblies 106 can each emit a laser line 116 onthe platen 112, the resulting substantially orthogonal laser lines 116can visually indicate the dimensions and position of the scan area 900on the platen 112. Two sides of the scan area 900 can be shown by thelaser lines 116, and the other two sides of the scan area 900 can be thevisible edges of the platen 112. In some embodiments the laserassemblies 106 can change the length and/or position of their laser line116 on the platen 112 to extend from an edge of the platen 112 to thecurrent position of the other laser assembly 106 on its axis 402. Assuch, the laser lines 116 can be projected with a length and/or positionsuch that they begin or end where they intersect on the platen, as shownin FIG. 9. In alternate embodiments, the laser lines 116 can extendacross any other portion of the platen 112.

In use, a user can use the laser movement controls 108 to move the laserassemblies 106 such that the laser lines 116 show the boundaries of theuser's desired scan area 900. Because a user can visually see theborders of the current scan area 900 as designated by the laser lines116, the user can use the laser movement controls 108 to visually adjustthe scan area's dimensions in one or more directions. By way of anon-limiting example, a user can use laser movement controls 108 to movethe laser lines 116 and change the scan area 900 from having thedimensions shown in FIG. 10A to the dimensions shown in FIG. 10B. Assuch, if the user desires, the user can move the laser lines 116 toentirely surround an item he or she wants to scan in order to set thescanner 100 to fully scan the item, even if the item has anon-rectangular or irregular shape.

In some embodiments, the laser lines 116 can be strong enough to bevisible through paper placed on the platen 112. By way of a non-limitingexample, a user can know from a laser line 116 that is visible throughthe back of a piece of paper how much of that paper would be cut offfrom a scan if the scan were performed using the current scan area 900.As such, cropping a document by scanning only a portion of the documentcan be visually confirmed by a user before the scan takes place, or theuser can use the laser movement controls 108 to adjust the dimensions ofthe scan area 900.

In some embodiments the laser assemblies 106 can be mounted in positionssuch that their laser lines 116 are emitted away from a user's likelyposition. By way of a non-limiting example, one laser assembly 106 canbe mounted under a front edge of the bezel 114 closest to a controlpanel on the front of the housing 102, such that its laser line 116 isemitted toward a back edge of the bezel 114, and another laser assembly106 can be mounted under a left edge of the bezel 114 such that itslaser line 116 is emitted toward the right edge of the bezel 114.Because a user is likely to stand in front of the housing 102 to operatethe control panel, the laser lines 116 can be directed away from theuser's likely position while still being visible to the user on theplaten 112. In some embodiments, laser assemblies 106 can be mountedunder the bezel 114 far enough away from the edge of the bezel 114 suchthat the bezel 114 can shield the laser lines 116 from directly shininginto users' eyes even when users are in other locations.

In some embodiments, a scanner 100 can comprise more than one laserassembly 106 on one or more axes 402, such that the scan area 900 can bedetermined from the distance between laser assemblies 106 that share anaxis 402. By way of a non-limiting example, FIG. 11 depicts anembodiment with two laser assemblies 106 mounted on an x-axis, and twomore laser assemblies 106 mounted on a y-axis. In FIG. 11, the scan area900 the area between the two laser assemblies 106 on the x-axis, andalso between the two laser assemblies 106 on the y-axis, such that thescan area 900 can be located on the interior of the platen 112 away fromthe edges of the platen 112. In these embodiments, each laser assembly106 can be moved independently through laser movement controls 108, suchthat any of the four edges of the scan area 900 can be individuallyadjusted to change the dimensions of the scan area 900, and/or theposition of the scan area 900 can be moved on the platen 112.

In other embodiments, the scan area can have one or more laserassemblies 106 movable along only one axis 402, such the dimensions ofthe scan area 900 are fixed in one direction but can be adjustable inthe other direction. By way of a non-limiting example, FIG. 12 depictsan embodiment in which the height of the scan area 900 can be fixed atthe height of the platen 112, while the width of the scan area 900 canbe adjusted by moving a single laser assembly 106 along an x-axis.

FIG. 13 depicts an embodiment having two laser assemblies 106 movablealong a single axis 402. In some embodiments, the laser assemblies 106on the same axis 402 can each be moved relative to a center position onthe axis 402. By way of a non-limiting example, in FIG. 13, movement ofone laser line 116 can be controlled by operating a laser movementcontrol 108, and the other laser line 116 on the same axis 402 can bemoved by an identical amount in the opposite direction such that thelaser lines 116 each move apart or closer together toward the centerposition on the axis 402. As such, a user can adjust the dimensions ofthe scan area 900 on opposing edges at the same time through a singleinput.

As described above, the scan area 900 can be visually adjusted throughmovement of the laser assemblies 106 and the laser lines 116 they emiton the platen 112. In some embodiments and/or situations, after the scanarea 900 has been selected, the image sensors 104 can be activated toscan documents placed face down within that scan area 900 on the platen112. In some embodiments, the dimensions of the current scan area 900can be further displayed on a display screen. By way of a non-limitingexample, a user can visually adjust the size and/or position of the scanarea 900 by moving the laser lines 116 on the platen 112, and thespecific dimensions of the adjusted scan area 900 in units such asinches, centimeters, or any other unit can be displayed on a screen onthe housing 102.

In alternate embodiments and/or situations, the dimensions of a scanarea 900 can be visually selected and/or adjusted on the platen 112 asdescribed above, and the controller 202 can save those dimensions toscan documents using a different scanning method. By way of anon-limiting example, a user who desires to scan a stack of documentseach having the same dimensions can place one test page on the platen112, use the laser movement controls 108 to select appropriatedimensions of a scan area 900 suitable for the size and shape of thattest page, and save the dimensions of that scan area 900 to thescanner's memory. The user can then remove the test page and place theentire stack of documents into an automatic document feeder within thescanner 100. The scanner 100 can then scan each page in the stack bysliding each page from the automatic document feeder past an imagesensor 104, and the controller 202 and/or image sensor 104 can use thedimensions of the scan area 900 selected by the user to determine thedimensions to scan for each page passing by the image sensor 104.

In some embodiments, a scanner 100 can use laser lines 116 to display aninitial or default scan area 900, which a user can then adjust using thelaser movement controls 108. By way of non-limiting examples, in variousembodiments users can select from one or more preset or common scansizes displayed on a menu on a display screen, users can input initialdimensions for a scan area 900 through a keypad or other input device,or the scanner 100 can display a default scan area 900 with apredetermined size. Once the initial scan area 900 is shown on theplaten 112 with laser lines 116, users can either confirm that scan area900 to begin scanning, or use one or more laser movement controls 108 toadjust the dimensions and/or position of the scan area 900 beforebeginning a scan.

In some embodiments the scanner 100 can access information about eachuser, such as saving or accessing user histories and/or profiles storedlocally, on a networked device, or on a cloud server. By way of anon-limiting example, the scanner 100 can request that a user visuallyconfirm the dimensions and/or position of a scan area 900 on the platen112 when the user selects a scan size they have never selected before,or has selected less frequently than a predetermined thresholdfrequency. By way of another non-limiting example, the scanner 100 cansave scan areas 900 previously selected or used by a particular user,such that the user can quickly load favorite or previously selected scanareas 900 without having to recreate them from a default scan area 900.

As described above, in some embodiments a user can use the laser lines116 to adjust and/or select a scan area 900 such that the image sensors104 can scan the platen 112 within that scan area 900 and generate adigital file. In some embodiments the digital file can be stored inmemory, such as within the scanner's data storage 204. In otherembodiments the digital file can be transmitted to another computer ordevice over a network or data connection, or be digitally sent to anemail address or other destination when the scan completes. In stillother embodiments in which the scanner 100 is incorporated into an MFPalso having a copier, the scan area 900 can be used to define a portionof the platen 112 that will be copied onto hard copies using the MFP'scopier.

In some embodiments, the laser assemblies 106 can selectively activatetheir laser emitters 302, such that the laser lines 116 can be turned onor off. In some embodiments, the scanner 100 can have hardware orsoftware controls operable by a user to turn the laser lines 116 on andoff. By way of a non-limiting example, a button can be mounted on thebezel 114 or elsewhere on the housing 102 that activates the laser lines116 when pressed and held, or that toggles activation or deactivation ofthe laser lines 116 on each press.

In other embodiments, the laser emitters 302 can be linked with a lidthat selectively covers the platen 112, such that the laser emitters 302can emit laser lines 116 when the lid is opened and the platen 112 isuncovered, but turns off the laser lines 116 when the lid is closed andthe platen 112 is covered. By way of a non-limiting example, the lid canhave a protrusion that presses against a “laser off” button mounted onthe bezel 114 when the lid is closed, but that moves away from andreleases the “laser off” button when the lid is raised, thereby turningthe laser lines 116 on when the lid is opened. By way of othernon-limiting examples, sensors linked with gears or hinges that connectthe lid to the housing 102 can signal to a controller 202 whether thelid is open or closed and thus whether the laser lines 116 should beshown, or a light sensor positioned under the lid can send signals toactivate emission of the laser lines 116 when the lid is opened andlight hits the light sensor.

In some embodiments, as shown in FIG. 14, one or more of the scanner'scontrollers 202 can use the positions of one or more laser assemblies106 on their axes to delineate multiple two-dimensional scan areas 1402on the platen 112. The scan areas 1402 can be an area of the platen 112that will be scanned by one or more image sensors 104 to create digitalrepresentations of documents, photographs, or anything else placed abovethe platen 112 within each area 1402.

As described above, in some embodiments a user can use the laser lines116 delineate multiple image scan areas 1402 n such that the imagesensors 104 can scan the platen 112 within areas 1402 and generate adigital file for each. In some embodiments a digital file can be storedin memory, such as within the scanner's data storage 204. In otherembodiments the digital file can be transmitted to another computer ordevice over a network or data connection, or be digitally sent to anemail address or other destination when the scan completes. In stillother embodiments in which the scanner 100 is incorporated into an MFPalso having a copier, the multiple image scan areas 1402 can be used todefine portions of the platen 112 that can be copied onto hard copiesusing the MFP's copier.

FIG. 15 depicts an exemplary method of using a scanner 100 to select ascan area 900. At step 1502, the scanner 100 can project laser lines 116on the platen 112 that illustrate edges of an initial scan area 900. Insome embodiments, the laser lines 116 can be projected automatically, orupon a command input by a user. In some embodiments the initial scanarea 900 can be a scan area 900 with preset default dimensions. In otherembodiments the initial scan area 900 can be a scan area 900 withdimensions selected by a user.

At step 1504, a user can place a document on the platen 112. Inalternate embodiments, the user can place the document on the platen 112prior to displaying the laser lines 116 during step 1502.

At step 1506, the user can use one or more laser movement controls 108to move the laser lines 116 and thereby adjust the size of the currentscan area from its initial dimensions. By way of a non-limiting example,the user can move the laser lines 116 such that the scan area 900entirely surrounds the document on the platen 112, or surrounds theportion of the document that the user wants to scan. When the user movesthe laser lines 116, the scanner can change the dimensions and/orposition of the scan area 900 in its memory, based on the positions ofthe laser assemblies 106 on their axes 402.

At step 1508, the user can confirm the scan area 900, and the scanner'simage sensors 104 can scan the scan area 900 with its image sensors 104.In some embodiments, the user can input a command to confirm the scanarea 900 displayed on the platen 112 via the laser lines 116, and theninput a second command instructing the scanner 100 to begin scanning. Inother embodiments, the user can input a command to begin scanning, atwhich point the scanner 100 can begin scanning the current scan area900.

In some embodiments, a user can use one or more laser movement controls108 to move the laser lines 116 and thereby divide a document intomultiple images areas 1402 to create digital representations of each orselected image areas 1402.

In some embodiments, the user can confirm the multiple image areas 1402,and the scanner's image sensors 104 can scan the document on the platen112. In some embodiments, the user can input a command to confirm themultiple image areas 1402 displayed on the platen 112 via the laserlines 116, and then input a second command instructing the scanner 100to begin scanning. In other embodiments, the user can input a command tobegin scanning, at which point the scanner 100 can begin scanning thedocument.

FIG. 16 depicts another embodiment method of using a scanner 100 toselect a scan area 900. At step 1602, the scanner 100 can project laserlines 116 on the platen 112 that can divide a document face intomultiple scan image areas 1402. In some embodiments, the laser lines 116can be projected automatically, or upon a command input by a user. Insome embodiments the multiple scan image areas 1402 can multiple scanimage areas 1402 with preset default dimensions. In other embodimentsthe multiple scan image areas 1402 can be multiple scan image areas 1402with dimensions selected by a user.

At step 1604, a user can place a document on the platen 112. Inalternate embodiments, the user can place the document on the platen 112prior to displaying the laser lines 116 during step 1502.

At step 1606, the user can use one or more laser movement controls 108to move the laser lines 116 and thereby adjust the size of the currentmultiple image scan areas 1402 from their initial dimensions. By way ofa non-limiting example, the user can move the laser lines 116 such thatmultiple image scan areas 1402 entirely surrounds the document on theplaten 112, or surrounds the portions of the document that the userwants to scan. When the user moves the laser lines 116, the scanner canchange the dimensions and/or position of multiple image scan areas 1402in its memory, based on the positions of the laser assemblies 106 ontheir axes 402.

At step 1608, the user can confirm multiple image scan areas 1402, andthe scanner's image sensors 104 can scan multiple image scan areas 1402with its image sensors 104. In some embodiments, the user can input acommand to confirm the multiple image scan areas 1402 displayed on theplaten 112 via the laser lines 116, and then input a second commandinstructing the scanner 100 to begin scanning. In other embodiments, theuser can input a command to begin scanning, at which point the scanner100 can begin scanning the current multiple image scan areas 1402.

Although the invention has been described in conjunction with specificembodiments thereof, it is evident that many alternatives, modificationsand variations will be apparent to those skilled in the art.Accordingly, the invention as described and hereinafter claimed isintended to embrace all such alternatives, modifications and variationsthat fall within the spirit and broad scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:
 1. A scanner, comprising: a rectangular platen; afirst laser assembly mounted below said platen, said first laserassembly being movable along a first axis parallel to a first edge ofsaid rectangular platen, and said first laser assembly being configuredto emit a first laser line onto said platen that is substantiallyorthogonal to said first axis from a position on said first axis; asecond laser assembly mounted below said platen, said second laserassembly being movable along a second axis parallel to a second edge ofsaid rectangular platen, said second axis being substantially orthogonalto said first axis, and said second laser assembly being configured toemit a second laser line onto said platen that is substantiallyorthogonal to said second axis from a position on said second axis; afirst laser movement controller configured to move said first laser lineon said platen in response to a first user input, wherein said firstlaser movement controller controls movement of said first laser assemblyalong said first axis; a second laser movement controller configured tomove said second laser line on said platen in response to a second userinput, wherein said second laser movement controller controls movementof said second laser assembly along said second axis; a controllerconfigured to determine dimensions of a scan area on said platen fromthe position of said first laser assembly on said first axis and theposition of said second laser assembly on said second axis; and an imagesensor mounted below said platen, wherein said first laser line and saidsecond laser line illuminate substantially orthogonal boundaries of saidscan area on said platen, wherein the controller is configured to definemultiple image scan areas on the scan area on the platen based on theposition of the first laser line and the second laser line, wherein saidimage sensor is configured to scan the entire platen into a digitalfile, and then output a plurality of digital files corresponding to thedefined multiple scan image areas.
 2. The scanner of claim 1, whereinsaid image sensor is configured to only scan an area of the platencorresponding to said determined scan area.
 3. The scanner of claim 1,wherein said image sensor is configured to scan the entire platen into adigital file, and then output a portion of the digital filecorresponding to the scan area.
 4. The scanner of claim 1, furthercomprising a copier, wherein the copier is configured to generatemultiple hard copies, each of the multiple hard copies corresponding toeach of the multiple scan areas.
 5. The scanner of claim 1, wherein themultiple scan image areas are in preset default dimensions.
 6. Thescanner of claim 1, wherein the multiple scan image areas are indimensions selected by a user.
 7. The scanner of claim 1, wherein sizeof the multiple scan image areas are adjusted based on a movement of thefirst laser line and the second laser line caused by one or more lasermovement controls from initial dimensions of the multiple scan imageareas.
 8. A scanner, comprising: a rectangular platen; a first x-axislaser assembly mounted below said platen, said first x-axis laserassembly being movable along a first axis parallel to a first edge ofsaid rectangular platen, and said first x-axis laser assembly beingconfigured to emit a first x-axis laser line onto said platen that issubstantially orthogonal to said first axis from a first position onsaid first axis; a second x-axis laser assembly mounted below saidplaten, said second x-axis laser assembly being movable along said firstaxis, and said second x-axis laser assembly being configured to emit asecond x-axis laser line onto said platen that is substantiallyorthogonal to said first axis from a second position on said first axis;a first y-axis laser assembly mounted below said platen, said firsty-axis laser assembly being movable along a second axis parallel to asecond edge of said rectangular platen, said second axis beingsubstantially orthogonal to said first axis, and said first y-axis laserassembly being configured to emit a first y-axis laser line onto saidplaten that is substantially orthogonal to said second axis from a firstposition on said second axis; and a second y-axis laser assembly mountedbelow said platen, said second y-axis laser assembly being movable alongsaid second axis, and said second y-axis laser assembly being configuredto emit a second y-axis laser line onto said platen that issubstantially orthogonal to said second axis from a second position onsaid second axis; a first laser movement controller configured to movesaid first x-axis laser line and/or said second x-axis laser line onsaid platen in response to a first user input, wherein said first lasermovement controller controls movement of said first x-axis laserassembly and/or said second x-axis laser assembly along said first axis;a second laser movement controller configured to move said first y-axislaser line and/or said second y-axis laser line on said platen inresponse to a second user input, wherein said second laser movementcontroller controls movement of said first y-axis laser assembly and/orsaid second t-axis laser assembly along said second axis; a controllerconfigured to determine dimensions of a scan area on said platen fromthe positions of said first x-axis laser assembly and said second x-axislaser assembly on said first axis and the positions of said first y-axislaser assembly and said second y-axis laser assembly on said secondaxis; and an image sensor mounted below said platen, wherein said firstx-axis laser line, said second x-axis laser line, first y-axis laserline, and said second y-axis laser line illuminate boundaries ofmultiple scan areas on said platen, and wherein said image sensor isconfigured to scan within each scan area of the multiple scan areasdetermined by said controller and generate a multiple digital filescorresponding to the multiple scan areas.